Zoom H4N tutorial?

[Brandon Sumner]

I have a nice Zoom H4N that I am not using and should be. I find the instruction book difficult to navigate and not laid out in a very user friendly manner, or I am just intimidated by it, one or the other:))
Can anyone recommend a good tutorial video or two??
Thanks!

[Spruce]

The trick to using that machine is it use if often, or you lose it... ;)

it's a very useful tool, especially for live recording.
I can make a CD-quality live recording (with some luck), in that it takes 2 channels of soundboard (always sterile sounding) and 2 channels of mics (always distant and indistinct sounding), and then marry them in Garageband...
Viola!
A really nice sounding result...

I wouldn't want to use it to try and record a project using all the effects, etc., but that's only because I have a studio that is easy and intuitive to use...
The H4 is not easy and intuitive to use, which is guess is why you are posting here...

Just keep futzing with it, and you'll figure it out. But when you do, keep at it or it will all be lost to the sands of time...

Luck!

[Jim]

Though I like Zoom products I have had 2 Zoom recorders and find them nonintuitive. Frequent use is the only way around it. My Fostex 8 trk and My Tascam DR7 are much easier to use.

[kkmm]

Very few recorders are intuitive to use. And the manual is also scary.

For example: to record a song on the BOSS microBR, the manual shows a "state of the lost art" sequence of steps, a dozen I remember. And the reviews reveal that many users are frustated about this product, so hard to use.

My actual use is to simply push the MP3 button to select MP3 mode recording, then hit the RED round button to activate recording mode, but this time, I can hit + / - to select MP3 bps rate or WAV. To record simpy hit PLAY button, and to stop recording, hit .... STOP. So easy for single track recording. Each MP3 file recorded like this will have the filename BR001, BR002, etc....., one can copy them to the PC with an USB connection.
I am sure all other recorders have simple mode of operation like this.
For multi-track recording, it is much more complex due to the nature of a multi-track mode.
One has to create an empty song, select a track to record (and repeat for next track, etc...), finally master the song.
Details are more complicated because the unit want to provide maximum flexibilities.
The bottom line: NO PAIN ... NO GAIN.

[Lord of the Badgers]

what did you actually want to do? Basic stereo recording isn't too hard IMO. It gets tougher with the four ch stuff, and the 4 track feature is way too basic really.

[Spencer]

what did you actually want to do? Basic stereo recording isn't too hard IMO. It gets tougher with the four ch stuff, and the 4 track feature is way too basic really.

That's been pretty much my experience as well, I have been pretty pleased with the manual with the exception of the multi-track stuff. I've used it to record off of my stereo for lp's etc., with no real problem using the manual. It's been one of my favorite purchases. Different strokes, I guess.

Spencer

[Spruce]

Freshet, recorded with 4 SM57s and an H4...

[Eddie Sheehy]

I have a H4 zoom that just sits there... My son had borrowed it to use as a mic for his PC... Now he has a mic so I have The H4 back... I get a lot more use out of my Q3 Zoom...

[darrylicshon]

I almost bought the H4 but i bought the R16 a few months ago and i am really happy with it